It was raining this afternoon so OH and I drove to Lerwick to see the Tall Ships that had arrived in Lerwick on Friday.

What I found out:

There are 37 sailing ships from all around the world.  Lerwick is the only Scottish leg of the 2023 Races.

So OH and I wandered about in the drizzle and saw there was lots going on.

Some superb local shops.  I saw friends and bought lovely things.

There is some incredible local artistic talent in Shetland.

This is Mandy Hunter and Ceri Biddle‘s shop.

One of Ceri’s wall-hangings takes two weeks to create.  Imagine!

And I am a huge fan of Mandy’s work.  I am sorely tempted to ask her to paint my sheep family.  It is a rare person who can paint sheep (see the card on the right).

Ok, the weather was miserable but the crowds were out and the atmosphere was superb.

A truly memorable event.

The dogs killed a polecat at Leradale yesterday and to be honest, I am not sure who was most surprised!

I had taken the dogs for a walk at Leradale and they had run off into the distance as usual. I was in another world listening to an audiobook so didn’t hear a commotion but saw the kerfuffle. I thought they were having a fight and hurried to sort it out, when I saw that they had a polecat and were killing it.  Wow!

So well done to Ted and Pepper.  They were efficient and quick. I never had Ted down as a killer but he was doing his bit just as much as Pepper in a thoroughly professional way. I think Mum would’ve been most proud.  Pepper did come home smelling a bit whiffy, though.  I checked everyone for bites and so far, I can see none.

And before anyone gets all fluffy bunny about polecats – they are an introduced species who do terrible damage to poultry so they have to go.

Today I returned to Leradale with the dogs for their daily walk as we all love it there.  The grass is short enough to run in and they can let off lots of energy too.

Both were very much in hunting mode still and I let them get on with it.  My theory on a walk is if I can see the dogs, then they are fine and I call them back to me regularly.

I was enjoying the walk.

And today everyone was on best behaviour.  They even came when they were called, which can be a rarity at times.

So were are all in a very good mood now.   I am still very surprised about Ted.

W = Wednesday = Water Day = this is the only way I remember what I am supposed to be doing in the week.  I have the brain of a hen, otherwise.

Despite the drizzly weather, as today began with a W, I knew I had to empty, clean and renew all the water buckets.

Including the “swimming pool” by the shed.

The dogs waited patiently while I did all this.  They went for their walk later.

I scrubbed and washed the Minions’ food bowls first.

Then I cleaned the water buckets and refilled them. It’s a long heavy hose a long way from the tap hence why it is only done once a week.

Then I did the same for the Old Ladies’ water supply too.

No one was grateful or even noticing, which made my life easier.

Next, I returned everything to its rightful place.

And no doubt, it will all be rearranged by tomorrow morning!

Once done, I rolled up the massive and heavy hose and put it back in its home.

All the ducks had clean water too – though, they have that daily.

“Luke, I am your father!”

And Mr Ducky is now father to three more ducklings who have not come out of their nest yet so off we go again on trying to catch them and their mother to relocate them to a safer, less worrying place.

It never stops.

Yesterday I decided that the time had come to move Mrs Ducky #2 and her one duckling so they could feel grass under their webbed feet.  Little duckling was obviously bored in the shed and needed to learn about the Big Outdoors, albeit in the safety of a duck-run.

I got everything ready first, making them some shelter so they could have a little bedroom and a swimming pool too.

Obviously they weren’t easy to catch, but OH wearing gauntlets (I jest you not) grabbed Mummy duck while I faffed around trying to catch the little-one. We walked sedately to their new home and left them to settle in.

Over night, I sort of shut up their wee green box house (I put the top flap down and worried all night).  It was the best I could bodge.

The other “nursery” run is going well too. The three ducklings (names = Eins, Zwei, Drei) are all fine.

They are beginning to get their feathers now and I am sort of thinking about letting them out.  I can’t make up my mind.

Maybe a bit longer incarcerated but Mum Duck is ferocious!

Pepper thinks the duck runs are better than tv and would spend many an hour watching the bebbies, if I didn’t know what she was thinking.

Yes, Pepper I know exactly what you are thinking!

She does love them, but not in a good way.

Newt is a solid little gentleman who has always has been a-leg-at-each-corner type of Shetland pony.  There is nothing wafty and fragile about him.  He wouldn’t blow over in a storm.

Now 7 years old, Newt was 24″ when he first arrived with us all those years back (aged 5months – his arrival is worth a read, just to see how pathetic he looked in the photos).

• Day 1 – Arrival
• Day 2 – Meeting the Others
• Day 3 – Naming

Newt is possibly a good 27″ now, I reckon though I should probably measure him, if someone hadn’t nicked my measuring stick. Luckily I have just inherited another so I will maybe one day have a measurement day. It would be interesting to know how tall everyone is.

Anywho, I found little Newt snoozing in the sunshine this morning. There was a brisk wind but it didn’t seem to put him off his forty winks.

Albie and Waffle were close by in attendance too.

And so Albie annoyed Newt enough for him to give up the idea of sleeping, get up and go and ask Silver for a scratch.

You can see how small Newt is compared to Silver who is about 39″ tall.

Despite his lack of size, Newt is the boss and we all do what Newt says.

Apart from Vitamin. She is the boss of Newt and we all must do what Vitamin says.

*** goes off to locate measuring stick ***